What should be the top priority for the government with regards to the environment?

Answers

Easily the most pressing and important issue is global climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are causing temperatures to rise, which poses a severe threat to many species and to human establishments. Governments are at least beginning to take it seriously, with some good legislation in the European Union and an international policy meeting in Copenhagen in December. Incidentally, halting climate change will solve a host of other environmental problems as well – smog will be lower with reduced emissions and conservation of plant and animal species will be easier without climate change to worry about.